Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tank which is configured such that a liquid can be supplemented to the tank via a liquid inlet port, and a liquid consuming apparatus including the tank.
Description of the Related Art
There is known a printer provided with a tank which is configured to store an ink therein and which is configured such that the ink can be supplemented thereto, and a recording head which is configured to jet the ink supplied from the tank so as to record an image on a paper (paper sheet, or sheet) with the jetted ink. In a case that the ink inside the tank is consumed, a user can supplement the ink stored in a bottle to the tank via the liquid inlet port of the tank.
The tank is provided with an atmosphere open port configured to maintain the pressure inside the tank at the atmospheric pressure. Further, a semipermeable membrane is provided in an atmosphere channel from the inside of the tank and up to the atmosphere open port, in some cases. The semipermeable membrane generally means a membrane (film) which allows a part of components of a solution, a gas mixture, etc., to pass (permeate) therethrough but does not allow another part of the components to pass therethrough. However, a semipermeable membrane used in the atmosphere channel means a gas-liquid separating membrane which allows a gas to pass therethrough but does not allow a liquid to pass therethrough. Thus, even when the ink stored in the tank enters the atmosphere channel, flowing (distribution, circulation) of the ink is stopped by the gas-liquid separating membrane. This prevents the ink from leaking from the atmosphere open port to the outside of the tank.